How to wear a pocket square in the office

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, pocket squares are a lot of fun. I can’t think of a better way to add a little personality to your wardrobe than by artfully adding a little color into your chest pocket. While many guys don’t see any problem wearing one at a wedding, they get a little timid when it comes to the workplace. Do you know how to wear a pocket square in the office?

It’s easier than you think. And with this article, I hope to give you some guidance on choosing a great looking pocket square.

In a nutshell:

How to wear a pocket square in the office

Pick the right material by matching the fabric to that of your jacket.

Choose something with a pattern for a stylish look.

What you need to know about matching is that your pocket square should refer to and complement the rest of your wardrobe, as opposed to matching it exactly.

Fold your pocket square with the puff method (described below).

Let’s go a little more in depth.

Material

Pocket squares come in all shapes and sizes. They are most commonly silk, and made up in a 12″ x 12″ square. But we also see linen and cotton pocket squares. If you look real hard you can even find flannel and cashmere(!).

How do you know what to choose?

The rule of thumb when choosing a material is that you want to match the fabric of the pocket square to that of your jacket.

For most office use, you’ll be just fine sporting a silk pocket square because you’re probably wearing a nice woolen suit. Whereas, for linen and cotton suits, you will want to consider choosing a more textured pocket square fabric, like linen or cotton, because silk will look a little too refined for a more casual suit.

Consequently, a cotton or linen pocket square will always be more casual than a silk pocket square. A notable exception is a crisp white cotton pocket square that always looks great for black tie events and when you’re wearing a white dress shirt.

Patterned or solid?

Solid is obviously the easiest to match, right? But a patterned pocket square is so much more fun!

That being said, there are many different types of office environments and therefore many different answers to how to wear a pocket square in the office. If you’re in a creative field, then you’re probably OK sporting a colorful pocket square with a unique pattern. However, for a more conservative environment, it’s always a safe bet to stick to a nice crisp look — a pressed cotton pocket square that extends just a quarter to a half inch above your chest pocket.

Which brings us to…

Matching

If you only remember one thing after reading this article, I hope it’s this: That your pocket square should refer to and complement the rest of your wardrobe, as opposed to matching it exactly. The standard approach is to pick up some of the colors in your necktie. If you’re not wearing a necktie, then pick up some of the pattern in your dress shirt. You can even look to your socks!

If you’re just starting out learning how to wear a pocket square in the office, stick with some very basic patterns, like simple stripes or a check pattern. And something in only a couple of colors. As you become more comfortable with matching your pocket square, maybe you want to try some more unique patterns…

Folds

There are many ways to fold a pocket square, but you already know that. In fact, I’d argue that the internet has made it a relatively intimidating endeavor to learn how to fold a pocket square, there are just so many options that it’s easy to feel like you won’t get it right.

In my opinion, there are two basic folds. And guess what, they’re super easy.

They are the puff and the reverse puff.

How to wear a pocket square in the office: Wrap up

Remember, in the early twentieth century, a well dressed gentleman would have never left the house without a pocket square in his chest pocket. It’s a great piece of tradition that’s certainly worth bringing back to the office.